Farmers gherao sugarcane minister’s residence over Rs 200 crore dues

Pilibhit: Nearly 1,000 farmers led by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee state secretary Kumud Gangwar gheraoed sugarcane development minister Sanjay Singh Gangwar’s residence in Pilibhit on Saturday, demanding payment of more than Rs 200 crore in pending sugarcane dues.The protest continued for about six hours and ended after Singh who was in Lucknow, spoke to Kumud over the phone. He assured that Rs 5 crore of the arrears owed by Barkhera-based Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar Mill would be released within a week and the remaining dues would be cleared soon.The protesters also demanded revival of Majhola Cooperative Sugar Mill, which has remained closed since Nov 2009. During the conversation, the minister offered to arrange a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath, but Kumud declined, saying farmers wanted a solution to the payment crisis rather than a meeting, and warned that if the assurance was not honoured, thousands of affected farmers would gherao the chief minister’s residence.“Oswal Sugar Mill at Nawabganj in Bareilly district owed farmers around Rs 70 crore for sugarcane supplied during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 crushing seasons. The mill stopped operations after the 2025-26 season without clearing the dues,” Kumud said.District cane department records showed that Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar Mill procured 42.38 lakh quintals of sugarcane worth Rs 167.81 crore after beginning operations on Nov 15 last year. It paid Rs 34.58 crore, leaving arrears of Rs 133.23 crore. Officials said the mill made its last payment on Nov 26 and ended its crushing season on Feb 24 this year.District magistrate Gyanendra Singh said he would speak to the mill management and set a deadline for clearing the dues. “Otherwise, the administration will confiscate the mill’s sugar and by-products, auction the stocks and clear farmers’ payments by raising liquidity,” he said.